The Esther Project Part 2

My husband and I have had many opportunities to give premarital counseling. It usually takes about 6 weeks or six sessions, during which, I occasionally interject relevant or (oh dear) irrelevant comments about the various subjects at hand, not having a curriculum to work off of like my husband does. I'm hoping this series can be something I can direct gals to.

In the first post, I basically gave you orders to take a hot bath.

Part 2 is hot on it's the heals because this may take some long term focus, and, since Esther was really in a very tough situation, we will look to other parts of scripture for guidance, as well. We aren't after her life, just her beauty secrets!

Do you have either visible or invisible scars?

Sweet Spirit:
What are the things that have injured your spirit? Did you have a troubled childhood or experience any abuse? Has it effected how you respond to others? Are there things in your past that you need to forgive? These things may take serious time to work through, so pray about where to begin...and begin. Each day is a new beginning.
Lam. 3:22-23
"Through the Lord's mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions fail not.
They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness."
The Lord has a unique ministry for you because of these things. I'm not suggesting that they can be completely erased, but that they can be used by God. You can go deeper into His grace and mercy than other women can at your age!
This attitude keeps our hearts focused on God which will, in turn, allow you to do good to your man "all the days of your life".
Prov.31:11-12
"The heart of her husband safely trusts her;
So he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good and not evil
All the days of her life."

Beyond spending time in God's Word, the most helpful thing to do, I believe, is to seek a Godly older woman as a mentor. When I was a newly wed, I sought out 3 Godly women that I knew would speak the truth to me in love. This was a game changer in my spiritual development! I believe a mentor is crucial whether you have deep things to work through or not. You can imagine the trauma that Esther endured (losing her parents and later being whisked off to a harem) and know that God had her there for a reason-"for such a time as this."

Esther 4:14b-16
"'Yet who knows whether you have come to the kingdom for such a time as this?'
Then Esther told them to reply to Mordecai: “Go, gather all the Jews who are present in Shushan, and fast for me; neither eat nor drink for three days, night or day."

There are some wonderful essential oils that people have used during this kind of process. Our sense of smell is very important. When we smell something, it hits our ole factory nerves in our noses and shoots right to the brain. A person can have positive or negative feelings about something because of a smell. Lavender, usually considered the "Swiss army knife" of essential oils because of its many uses, can take you back to grandmas house and fill you with all kinds of warm fuzzies. If, however, you hated that place, then you probably won't benefit from it. On the other hand, many smells are not actually the real essence of the plant God made, but only a synthetic, so don't give up with out trying a whiff of the real stuff.

Some examples of blends that YL carries are: Forgiveness, Release, and Trauma Life. These were designed to minister to people's emotions and mental state. As I mentioned, these are blends, so make sure you read what all oils are in it first. There may be something there that turns you off. Some singles could be frankincense, ylang ylang, lavender, and lemon. Sometimes a person may smell an EO and hate it, but then grow to like it over time. We all have different body chemistry. Something I like, you may think smells like cat urine, or when your body chemistry changes, it may smell different to you. I use to not like the smell of Cedarwood, but I was having so much trouble falling asleep, I kept trying it, and now I love it.

Physical Care:
On the surface level
This is a wonderful blend of oils that you can use on any skin trouble, whether it is just a temporary issue or something that has bothered you for years. Esther did this sort of thing for a year, so don't expect overnight success.
10 drops helichrysum
6 drops lavender
8 drops lemongrass
4 drops patchouli
5 drops myrrh
1 ounce V-6 Mixing oil. (This is a carrier oil blend the YL carries)
Olive oil or coconut oil (fractionated) would work as well. Jojoba is a wonderful carrier oil that is used for carrying the EOs in deeper. It's molecules are pin shaped and soak in quickly. On the other hand, a lot of massage therapists go for sweet almond oil. It's molecules are oval shaped and therefore stay on the skin longer. These four carrier oils are a must at my house.
MIX IN THE ORDER GIVEN (VERY important!!!), rolling the bottle between your palms after adding each oil. Apply topically at least 3-4 times a day.

Teachable:
Begin memorizing Prov. 31:10-31
In this passage of scripture, there is SO much scope for growing in the Lord! I did not discover its value until shortly after we were married, but, oh how much I needed it, and how much I could have blessed my husband if I had come more prepared!

I hope and pray that your hurts are only skin deep, but if they are deeper, God is there too. He is, after all, EVERYWHERE.
There is enough trouble in this life with just our own sin nature and selfish desires, and you can be sure that getting married will bring your sin right out there for you to discover just how much of it there is! You can look at it as an opportunity to be more refined and sanctified!

So, for this post, just tag it onto the first one as soon as you can. You want to give yourself as much time as possible to heal wounds.

A relaxing bath combo:
5 drops Lavender
 3 drops cedarwood wood
 2 drops vetiver
2 cups Epsom salts.
Mix the EOs into the Epsom salt then add to bath